By Grace Leung, Newport Beach City Manager
On behalf of the City of Newport Beach staff, I wish you and your families a very happy and healthy holiday season! It has been our pleasure to serve the Newport Beach community in 2022, and we look forward to a productive 2023.
I’d also like to congratulate the Commodores Club of the Newport Beach Chamber of Commerce and Newport Beach & Company for a wonderful kickoff to the Christmas Boat Parade, along with all of the boaters and volunteers who help make this event such a beloved and popular Newport Beach tradition.
As a reminder, City Hall and most City facilities will be closed from Saturday, December 24 through Monday, December 26. Trash and recycling collection will continue on the regular schedule, and tree recycling will begin after Christmas on your regular collection day.
Also, if you haven’t done so already, please consider contributing to the Operation Christmas gift drive to benefit our troops and their families. You can drop off new gifts such as toys, DVDs or sports equipment at all City facilities by noon on Friday, December 23.
Holiday 2022 Tree Recycling and Waste Collection Information
Trash and Recycling Collection: Because Christmas Day and New Year’s Day fall on Sundays this year, there will be no changes or interruptions to trash and recycling collection services during these two holiday weeks. All collection routes will be running on normal schedules, Monday through Friday. Please place your containers out for collection on your regular service day.
Christmas Tree Pickup: Free tree pickup will begin after Christmas, on your regular service day. Be sure to remove all lights, tinsel, ornaments and stands from your tree.
Please place Christmas trees at the curbside on your collection day. If possible, place them inside your green carts for collection. Large trees over 6 feet tall should be cut in half.
Please note: Trees with flocking (fake snow) cannot be recycled, as the flocking is made with toxic chemicals. Trees with flocking must be placed in your black-top trash cart or treated as a bulky-item pickup.
For more information, please visit http://crrwasteservices.com.
Operation Christmas Donations Accepted through Dec. 23
For the 17th year, the City of Newport Beach is partnering with Operation Christmas to collect toys, DVDs, sporting equipment and other gift donations from City facilities in support of our troops. If you haven’t done so already, please consider donating a gift to Operation Christmas at any public City facility around Newport Beach, now through Friday, December 23 at noon.
Newport Beach City staff and elected officials will deliver the donated gifts to Operation Christmas staff for distribution to families of military service members. As in past years, uniformed officers will arrive on December 23 with decorated military vehicles to collect the toys for distribution to families. The drive supports the families of active duty and reserve National Guard members and the U.S. Space Force.
Last year more than 2,000 gifts were donated by the public at Newport Beach drop boxes. Please consider making the 2022 holidays brighter for our troops and their families through a gift donation! For more information on the campaign, visit the Operation Christmas web page: https://wp.yellowribbonamerica.org/annual-christmas-drive-2.
City Addresses Storm-Related Debris
Last week’s storm kept City staff busy with tree- and beach-related cleanup. Staff responded to several calls for tree-related incidents, including two fallen City trees that had to be removed.
The City’s preventative maintenance program, which includes regular tree trimming and inspections, keeps incidents such as these to a minimum. Additionally, staff patrolled City streets checking for excess debris, such as palm fronds, from both public and private trees.
Our beaches also experienced a large storm surge, which caused high volumes of trash and driftwood to wash ashore between the river jetty and 20th Street.
Public Works staff estimates that about 180 cubic yards of debris will be collected and removed following the storm. Following the removal of large debris, a beach comber will collect smaller, leftover debris. This beach clean-up operation will take several weeks to complete as tides continue to bring debris ashore.
General Plan Committees to Reconvene Jan. 18
The City is working with the community to update the Newport Beach General Plan to align with the community’s goals and vision of Newport Beach for the future.
This is being accomplished primarily through the General Plan Update Steering Committee (GPUSC) and the recently appointed General Plan Advisory Committee (GPAC). It has been 16 years since the General Plan was last revised comprehensively, although some sections have been updated, such as the housing and circulation elements.
The GPUSC and the GPAC will hold a joint public meeting on January 18, 2023. City staff will provide an orientation for members with an overview of the General Plan.
Please visit www.newportbeachca.gov/GPUpdate for more information and to sign up for e-notifications. The community is invited and encouraged to participate throughout the comprehensive review and update.
If you have any questions, or to learn more, please email GPUpdate@newportbeachca.gov.
OASIS Fitness Center Holiday Schedule
The OASIS Fitness Center holiday schedule is:
December 23: 7 a.m. to noon
December 24 – December 26: Closed
December 27 – December 30: 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.
December 31 – January 2: Closed
The OASIS Senior Center (offices, classrooms and transportation) will be closed from Saturday, December 24 through Monday, January 2. OASIS will resume regular hours on Tuesday, January 3.
Be Well Mobile Crisis Response Update
The Be Well mobile crisis response team operates in Newport Beach 12 hours a day, seven days a week to respond to mental and behavioral health crises. The mobile unit is staffed with mental health specialists and EMTs, and works closely with the City’s police and fire departments.
This week the Be Well team:
- Transported a person to a crisis stabilization unit for treatment.
- Transported a person to the sobering station at the Be Well campus.
- Transported a person to an emergency room for treatment.
- Transported eight people to services, shelter intakes, and appointments.
Homelessness update
The City of Newport Beach provides a comprehensive response to address homelessness through a coordinated effort by City staff, contractors, partner agencies, and nonprofit groups.
This week, the City’s homeless outreach and response teams:
- Transported two clients to intake appointments at the new HB Oasis non-congregate transitional housing facility. HB Oasis is an older motel converted into transitional housing through the state’s Project Homekey initiative.
- Continued to shelter people. Nineteen people who had been experiencing homelessness in Newport Beach are now sheltered in the Costa Mesa Bridge Shelter.
- Enrolled three people into services.
- Transported a person back to his bed at the Yale Navigation Center after he completed a COVID-19 quarantine.
Click here to view the latest homeless dashboard, which includes key monthly and yearly data on the City’s homeless response: https://www.newportbeachca.gov/trending/community-issues/homelessness/monthly-homeless-count.
